Attachment of first Irish Medical Students to Mother Theresa University Hospital, Tirana

Irish Friends of Albania was delighted to assist in the arrangements of the attachments of two medical undergraduate students from Trinity College Dublin to Mother Theresa University Hospital, Tirana for the Summer months. Traditionally many undergraduates use the Summer to visit foreign hospitals for attachments. They gain invaluable experience of new environments, often very challenging due to lack of resources, they see patients with conditions which are less common here in Ireland and they make friends with their colleagues which they often maintain throughout their careers.

This Summer Irish Friends of Albania assisted Granit Ismaili and Josephine Fitzpatrick to undergo an attachment in the General Surgery, Neurosurgery and Plastic Surgery Units of Mother Theresa University Hospital, Tirana, where we have a long collaboration.

The attachment was extra special for Granit as he is Irish and Albanian so he was able to return to Albania where he spent his early childhood years.

The students have been delighted with their attachment to date and will report fully on their experience in the Autumn. Special thanks to all the Albanian personnel who welcomed them and to Profesors Dracini, Petrela and Belba for facilitating the visit.